Chapter 79

In the guesthouse, there were four men and two women, all of whom had received a signal from Chen Fa before the outbreak of the strange fish event and secretly fled to Malaysian’s boat. During the day, they hid in a house near Malaysian’s location, unaware of what was happening outside. When the strange fish outbreak occurred at night, they quickly boarded Malaysian’s boat and left the town of Hexi.

Malaysian’s other boat was too deep in the water to pass through the shallow area to the north of the town towards Lucheng, so they had no choice but to continue upstream along the Qinghe River. When the fuel ran out, they anchored on the shore.

Fortunately, the current along that stretch of the Qinghe River was gentle, and traveling against the current wasn’t difficult.

They anchored on the west side of Lucheng, which was the spot Chen Fa and Chen Yuezhen originally planned to land. After docking, Malaysian no longer cared about them; he didn’t even bother to check on the other townspeople from Hexi who had rushed onto the boat in the chaos. He felt that it was kind enough to take them away from Hexi Town for free, as some of his team members had given gold, while those from the town had not.

Later, Malaysian took his trusted subordinates and traded with people on the boat and the town on the shore, exchanging for two cars, some fuel, and numerous heavy travel bags. The plan was to go to Lucheng first to exchange for water, supplies, and fuel, then take the land route through the Northern Plateau to Xiangzhou Province, and from there head to the Fengshang Plateau.

After Malaysian’s group left, Yue Dong and his team did not see them again.

With no cars, they had to walk west, where there were several other small towns. They hoped to get lucky and find a way to get a car and fuel.

When they reached the next town, some people there had contracted the scab disease. The family of the sick child didn’t hide it, but when the other townspeople found out, they assumed it was a contagious plague and the family was ostracized and driven out.

The sick child was a little boy, and his parents couldn’t bear to leave him. When Yue Dong’s group provided some information about the disease, the family decided to try their luck in Youcheng. Since Yue Dong’s group had shown no signs of hostility, they gave the family a ride.

It was a small pickup truck, and the back was covered with sturdy waterproof cloth to create a makeshift cargo area for the family’s supplies. The six of them squeezed into the back, just barely fitting.

However, along the way, the sick child’s condition worsened. He suffered the same pain as the thin man, but the difference was that Lu Zheng and the thin man were teammates, so even though they were concerned, they could handle the situation calmly when night fell.

But the parents couldn’t endure hearing their child’s painful screams every night, feeling his skin tear apart, and seeing their child’s condition deteriorate. They were on the verge of collapse themselves…

“…The scabs spread more quickly and grew faster when they came into contact with water. But strangely, when the scabs started to crack at night, the pain could be relieved if the patient was immersed in water. The parents, unable to bear it and lacking any painkillers, could only let their child soak in the rain…”

“But this was just a temporary relief, not a cure. After soaking in the rain, the scabs quickly spread all over his body. Eventually, they even covered his face, and the child started losing large clumps of hair. Even his scalp was covered in scabs…”

“Was it a constant cycle of scabs forming and falling off? After soaking in water, did it cause any swelling similar to the ‘giant’s view’ condition?” Chen Fa suddenly asked.

“No,” Yue Dong quickly responded, as though very certain.

Chen Fa exchanged a glance with Shu Fu. It seemed that the patient in the basement of Tang Ping’s small building, who showed signs of swelling, had been part of an experiment. It was unclear what Tang Ping had done to him, but his condition was clearly different from what they had observed in the thin man and Yue Dong’s descriptions.

Yue Dong continued, his expression becoming somewhat hard to describe, as if recalling a horrifying experience: “…After the scabs covered his entire body, his consciousness no longer seemed as dazed as before, but he wasn’t fully awake either. It was more like he had lost his human form and was becoming something else, easily startled, with extreme aggression…”

He told them that one night, the child started screaming again. His parents couldn’t hold him back and could only let him soak in the water. The rain had stopped for a while, and no one had noticed a nearby waterhole where the child suddenly started screaming wildly and eventually jumped into the water, disappearing.

The waterhole, swollen from months of rainfall, had become deep and large. His parents searched for the child all night, and they even entered the water to help, but they couldn’t find him.

The whole ordeal had been too agonizing, and after their child disappeared, the parents completely broke down. By the time they found the bodies, they had drowned in the waterhole, and their bodies floated to the surface.

They buried the bodies and continued their journey, finally arriving near Youcheng.

“How many days have you been here?”

“Five days.” Yue Dong, who had been partnered with Chen Fa for a long time, knew what she was asking, so he continued, “At that time, the road from the city outskirts to the south had already been destroyed. I suspect it was the people from the northern part of the city.”

They had chosen to stay here to scout the situation in the city. Their situation was similar to Chen Fa’s; their car had run out of fuel, and there was no way to go back. They could only plan to break through the northern part of the city.

After these few days, their food and water were almost gone. They had planned to take action by the latest tomorrow, but they hadn’t expected to meet Chen Fa and Chen Yuezhen here.

Yue Dong’s wife, Jiang Dai, was a smart and gentle person. The thing that made her happiest was seeing Chen Fa’s grandmother, Chen Yuezhen, healthy and standing in front of them.

“I had suspected that your grandmother wouldn’t have contracted that strange disease…” Jiang Dai’s reasoning was simple. Her sense of smell was very keen, and whenever they occasionally met with Chen Fa, she had never noticed the foul odor on her. On the other hand, the team members whose family members had fallen ill did carry that distinct smell.

And this was something even Chen Fa hadn’t noticed at the time.

Tang Ping probably hadn’t noticed either, given the stronger stench on him. Being constantly exposed to that smell, he naturally couldn’t pick up on such subtle details.

Since both sides had the same goals, they exchanged information they had gathered about Youcheng and began planning to cooperate.

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The images and messages that Lu Zheng and Xu Tingfeng had seen online were accurate but also misleading.

The people who had blown up the bridge weren’t from the south of the city, and the reason for blowing up the bridge wasn’t to prevent forces from the north from invading. The entire incident had been orchestrated by a power faction from the north.

This faction resembled the brainwashing organizations Shu Fu had encountered in Lou Yuncheng before. After several months of spreading, this kind of organization had grown in size, with more followers.

Two months ago, the scab disease had already appeared in the northern part of the city. At that time, the number of patients was very small, but this organization called the disease “evolution.”

The southern troops had always wanted to help the people from the north, but this organization not only blew up the bridge but also shifted the blame onto the southern troops, claiming they had destroyed the bridge to prevent the sick from crossing. Because the disease was contagious, they feared the infected people and preferred to trap them in the northern part of Youcheng.

Rumors spread throughout the northern part of the city, and soon the network was cut off. Despair spread among the northern population, and more and more people contracted the scab disease. Many people, whose family members had fallen ill and couldn’t be treated, joined the organization in order to alleviate their inner pain.

The organization grew larger and eventually absorbed other smaller groups. Now, it was the dominant force in the northern city.

By the time people realized what had truly happened, it was too late.

“Trying to enter the city during the day and cross the city center to the river, then use the only remaining bridge to go to the southern part of the city, has a very low success rate. There are too many of them, and they patrol everywhere. Anyone who’s an outsider will be captured.”

Chen Fa picked up on the key point: “What about at night?”

Yue Dong nodded: “Our plan to break out is scheduled for the night. It’s their ‘Evolution Night.’ So, as long as it’s night, no one will be leaving the northern part of the city.”

“What do you mean?” Xu Tingfeng, who had been silent, couldn’t help but ask.

Yue Dong glanced at him: “You also have scab patients on your vehicle, so you should be familiar with this disease. Every night, the disease flares up—the scabs crack, and the patient suffers great pain and becomes somewhat aggressive. Water can ease the pain, but it also speeds up the spread of the scabs. So, every night, they open the doors of the houses where they keep the scab patients, then lock themselves inside and let these patients wander around the city. By the time morning comes, when the patients become calm and lapse into a dazed state, they bring them back.”

“Usually, after a night of rain, the scabs on the patients’ bodies spread significantly. They use this method to accelerate the progression of the disease, calling it ‘accelerated evolution,’ while promoting the idea that the patients can only fully escape the pain once they pass through the ‘evolution period.’”

“The patients’ families have been thoroughly brainwashed. And since this organization is aiming to create an environment where nothing disturbs the ‘evolution,’ every time it rains at night, no one who isn’t sick will leave their homes. The stormy nights belong solely to the scab patients.”

“This is just ridiculous! How could anyone believe such a thing? If someone’s sick, they should see a doctor! What’s all this talk about accelerated evolution? Hasn’t anyone objected to this? Does everyone actually believe such nonsensical nonsense?” Xu Jiechu couldn’t imagine such an absurd theory and behavior. “And what’s this organization’s goal? Not letting people leave, and accelerating the progression of the disease—what are they trying to do, breed something?”

Yue Dong sighed: “When a person is about to drown, they’ll grab anything within reach, even if it’s just a straw. As for their purpose, who knows? After all, we’re just normal people.”

Some of this information had come from someone who had escaped Youcheng. His family members had all contracted the scab disease, but he didn’t want to join the organization or be locked away and brainwashed. So, he pretended to join and escaped at night.

But he had been injured and didn’t have the courage to cross half of Youcheng to reach the city center. Without a boat or car, and without any supplies, he eventually made his way to this guesthouse.

Unfortunately, he also contracted the scab disease. The day after Yue Dong and the others arrived at the guesthouse, he started running a fever, and fine scabs appeared on his body. He knew what would happen to him after contracting this disease—it was like a death sentence.

Later, he took his own life when Yue Dong and the others weren’t paying attention…

“So, what you’re saying is, no one will go out in the entire northern part of the city at night? Even if outsiders want to cross the city to the river, no one will stop them?” Chen Fa sharply brought the conversation back to the point.

“Yes.” Yue Dong nodded.

“How can you be sure?” Xu Jiechu asked again.

“We can’t be completely sure, but this is the result of our observations. We’ve been observing for a long time and we know where the organization has set up roadblocks, spikes, and mines at several intersections leading into the city. These are their defenses at night. As long as we avoid these areas, we should be able to enter the city smoothly.”

“Isn’t that too risky?” The large man and the bald guy couldn’t help but voice their concerns.

“If you want to go to the southern part of the city, there’s no other way.” Yue Dong seemed much calmer, having already spent several days scouting the area and considering various plans. “It’s absolutely impossible to get through during the day. Their military equipment is very strong, and even bulletproof vehicles probably won’t make it through, unless you have a tank.”

“……”

“Of course, you can also give up on this route and take a detour through the northwestern line, going through the wilderness and then directly heading to Fengshang Plateau.”

However, that route was thousands of kilometers long. Even in peacetime, one could easily get trapped in the wilderness if not careful, let alone in the current harsh weather conditions.

The most basic necessity—fuel—was already a huge problem.

The reason they had gathered here was because of the fuel shortage.

They had come this far, only to realize they couldn’t move forward. They couldn’t go back either, and waiting would mean waiting for death. Given that, it might be better to take a chance!

Everyone began to think, looking toward their teammates for advice.

The people on Lu Zheng and Xu Tingfeng’s side didn’t know Yue Dong’s group at all, but Lu Zheng trusted Shu Fu completely.

As for Chen Fa, she had once been the deputy captain of Yue Dong’s group, and they had left the team early because of her warning, ultimately saving their lives. Because of this, Yue Dong’s group trusted Chen Fa.

And just like Lu Zheng, Chen Fa trusted Shu Fu completely.

In the end, everyone’s gaze turned to Shu Fu.

Shu Fu: …

She took a step back, allowing Chen Fa to stand in front of her, and said, “I’ll listen to her.”

Her personality wasn’t suited to be the team leader, and after this mission, she would likely be forced to work alone again, but Chen Fa was different. She had once lamented that she hadn’t met a good team leader or a team that could work together harmoniously.

But now, it seemed that she had found one.

The people on Lu Zheng’s side had escaped together with them from Lucheng. Aside from the skinny guy and Xu Jiechu, who were somewhat unreliable, the others were brave and strategic.

As for the people on Yue Dong’s side, since they had previously agreed to warn each other using signals, it was clear they were people Chen Fa trusted. After receiving her warning, they had successfully escaped and made their way to Youcheng, which meant they were no fools.

In such chaotic times, reliable teammates were invaluable.

Chen Fa thought for a moment and then asked Yue Dong again, “Once we get to the river, how do we cross?”

“We have an inflatable boat on the pickup truck that can carry 15 people, with a safe weight capacity of 1700 kilograms. If everyone squeezes together, we should be able to fit on it.” The inflatable boat was the reason Yue Dong and his team had stayed here to scout Youcheng, planning to pass through the city to the southern bank.

“No need to squeeze,” Chen Fa smiled. “We have an inflatable boat and an outboard motor on our vehicle that can carry the three of us. We’ll use the extra space on the inflatable boat to bring as much supplies as possible.” She walked over to the window to check the weather outside.

At that moment, the rain had started pouring again. The entire sky was dark and oppressive, and it seemed the heavy rain would continue into the night.

Chen Fa made her decision quickly: “The rain won’t ease tonight. If we want to go to the southern part of the city, tonight is indeed a good opportunity. If anyone has a different opinion, you can speak now. If we all agree, we have six hours from now until tonight to organize our supplies and plan the specific route.”

Yue Dong’s side had already made up their minds, and no one disagreed.

Shu Fu and Chen Yuezhen certainly wouldn’t have any objections.

As for Lu Zheng and Xu Tingfeng’s side, Xu Jiechu, who had spoken the most before, found himself the focus of everyone’s attention.

“What’s everyone looking at me for?” he asked awkwardly, feeling as though he had become the most cowardly person in the group. “I didn’t say I didn’t want to go. If we’re going, then let’s go. We’re all going together anyway…”

“Alright, it’s decided, we move out tonight!”

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The rain poured down like a waterfall.

In the northern part of Youcheng, the streets were dimly lit by streetlights. Tonight, the city belonged to the “evolutionaries,” and the “non-evolutionaries” were forbidden from going outside. No exceptions, regardless of who they were.

On a certain street in the northern part of the city, three vehicles were lined up, slowly making their way from north to south.

The first was the pickup truck, followed by a bus, and the off-road vehicle bringing up the rear. The three vehicles had successfully passed through the obstacle and trap zones at the city’s edge, entering the city center. The number of buildings around them had clearly increased, and they weren’t sure if anyone inside these buildings was watching them.

None of the vehicles had their headlights on. In the rainy night, they silently made their way toward the river in the city’s center, using the faint streetlights for guidance.

The person driving the pickup truck was Jiang Dai. Before the chaos began, she had been a city architect, and she had an extraordinary ability to recognize roads and directions. The pickup truck had few seats, so Yue Dong and another person went to the bus, while that person stayed inside the bus, and Yue Dong and Xu Tingfeng sat on the bus roof, wearing raincoats.

They were using binoculars to check the road conditions around them, and then Yue Dong would relay the information to Jiang Dai via the only set of walkie-talkies they had, to ensure their team wouldn’t drive into streets in the northern part of the city where the local forces had set up roadblocks and barriers.

They suspected that the roadblocks and barriers were meant to stop the gray scab patients from running toward the river, as once they encounter water, they act recklessly, often throwing themselves into it. If the rain suddenly stopped during the night, there was a high chance they would collectively jump into the river.

Clearly, that was not the outcome the northern forces in the city wanted.

The rain was too heavy, and the binoculars were of limited use. They weren’t sure whether it was because night had just fallen or because there weren’t any houses nearby where the gray scab patients could be housed, but since entering the city center, they hadn’t seen many patients running out into the rain.

Youcheng was much larger than Lucheng, and at their current speed, it would still take them over an hour to reach the riverbank.

After confirming with Xu Tingfeng, Yue Dong instructed Jiang Dai to slightly increase their speed over the walkie-talkie.

The vehicles passed through several intersections without incident, and only a small stretch of the road remained. However, after turning a corner, a large group of gray scab patients suddenly appeared in the street, blocking their way.

“There are so many patients on the road!” Jiang Dai’s voice trembled slightly over the walkie-talkie. Even though she had been staying at a guesthouse for several days and was familiar with Youcheng’s situation, the sheer number of gray scab patients wandering the streets still startled her.

“Don’t panic. As long as the patients are not provoked, they won’t react to moving vehicles. Keep going. There’s a fork in the road about three meters ahead, turn there.” Yue Dong’s voice came through the walkie-talkie, and Jiang Dai managed to calm down, slowing the vehicle and successfully turning into the side road.

The bus and off-road vehicle followed closely behind.

In the off-road vehicle, Chen Yuezhen was driving tonight. Shu Fu was sitting in the back seat, looking out through the water-streaked windows. Some of the gray scab patients were standing in the rain, some were lying on the waterlogged road, and others were crouching, occasionally twisting their bodies.

They were almost all naked, some only partially covered in gray scabs, while others had patches of hair missing and their scalp and faces were covered in horrific gray scabs. When they turned their heads, their bloodshot eyes glowed like beasts’ eyes under the dim streetlights.

Shu Fu’s thoughts were shattered by a sudden, dazzling burst of light and a deafening explosion ahead of the off-road vehicle. In this quiet city, the noise felt like a bomb had been dropped out of nowhere.

A bomb?

Shu Fu realized it—there had been an explosion!

The bus had been hit!